which he appeared to be reading, sat beneath the _catalpa_ in the
garden.

It was about two o'clock when a splendid equipage, drawn by a pair of
superb English horses, entered the demesne of Grinselhof and drew up in
front of the portal. De Vlierbeck welcomed his guests courteously, and
Monsieur Denecker gave orders to the coachman to return precisely at
five o'clock, as matters of importance required his presence in Antwerp
before nightfall.

Denecker was a large, stout person, dressed rather extravagantly, but in
a style of studied carelessness which he evidently regarded as stylish.
The expression of his face, it must be owned, was rather vulgar, and
exhibited a compound of cunning and good-nature tempered by
indifference. But Gustave, his nephew, belonged to an entirely different
class of persons. His tall figure was graceful and easy, his countenance
frank and manly, and his whole demeanor denoted refined manners and high
cultivation. Blue eyes and blonde hair imparted a poetic air to his
head; but an energetic glance and lofty brow took from it every
expression of sentimental weakness.

No sooner had De Vlierbeck presented his guests to Lenora, in the
saloon, than Denecker broke forth in exclamations of undisguised
admiration--

"How charming, how beautiful she is! and yet so hidden in this
Grinselhof of yours, Monsieur de Vlierbeck! What a shame, sir! what a
shame!"

In the mean time Gustave and Lenora had moved off to a short distance
from the old gentlemen, and were busy in a chat of their own, inaudible
to the rest but evidently interesting to themselves, for they were
observed not only to blush but tremble. Denecker, in fact, could not
help observing the young people's emotion; and, as De Vlierbeck passed
down the saloon with him, remarked that the young beauty was evidently
turning his nephew's head. "He talks of her constantly," said he, "and I
don't know what may come of it; but I give you fair warning, Monsieur De
Vlierbeck, if you are unwilling to see something more than compliments
between these children you had better take time by the forelock. It will
soon be too late to reason with them; for my nephew, with all his calm
gentleness, is not the man to retreat before difficulties."

De Vlierbeck was secretly delighted by the merchant's counsels, but was
too wise to display anxiety.

"You are joking, Monsieur Denecker," said he: "I can't think there is a
particle of danger. They are both young,